


Baby Fever

by sassandpanache



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Babies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21673018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassandpanache/pseuds/sassandpanache
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. Anticipation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mythicalpurgatory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicalpurgatory/gifts).



Rhett was nervous.

Link had always been good with babies. If he could, he’d be pregnant in heartbeat. And the day that Rhett agreed to start the adoption process was one of the happiest of Rhett’s life if only for the joy it brought to Link. But Link had caught it, despite warnings and cautions: baby fever.

Once they had gone through all the hoops the adoption agency made them jump through, they found themselves in a waiting game. But nothing could deter Link from thinking about baby names or researching the best of the best for their potential child. It seemed to completely consume Link’s thoughts.

Friends of theirs had a baby and Link would find any and every excuse to go visit the baby. He’d drift off from Rhett at Target and would be found later in the baby section cooing over the small clothing or discerning what formula was best. “There’s more iron and vitamin A in this one,” he exclaimed as Rhett walked down the aisle. Rhett had even discovered a stash of items in the guest room closet, ready to explode out and cover the room to make it a baby’s.

Rhett had shown genuine excitement when Link first got baby fever. But as the weeks passed, and there was no word from the agency, he became nervous that Link was simply setting himself up for heartache. Not only could they not get picked, but the heart-wrenching idea that they could be picked and the birth parents change their mind lingered in the shadows of his thoughts. Sometimes it was hard to be the pragmatic one. Rhett had tried to temper Link’s enthusiasm here and there, but it was usually a lost cause.

Rhett was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at his phone. He had texted Link asking where he was, but there was no answer. When that happened, he knew the answer usually--he was at Buy Buy Baby looking at the stroller selection or something. 

Finally, the door to the kitchen opened and Barbara and Jade scurried to greet their daddy at the door. Link came in with a few bags. 

“Hey, my little lovelies,” Link cooed to the dogs at his feet. He looked up and was startled to see Rhett sitting at the table. 

“Rhett! Uh,” Link said sheepishly as he hastily pulled the bags behind his back. “What--what are you doing home?”

Rhett folded his hands in front of him, and took a breath. “Link, we need to talk about this.”

Link chuckled and sidestepped further into the house, and in the other room. He came back quickly, sans bags, and rubbed his hands together. “Talk about what?” he asked nervously.

“What do you think?”

“It’s not a lot. And the baby will need it once it gets here.”

“Link--”

“What, do you expect the baby to be naked all the time? They’ll need onesies and toys. And there are special toys for newborns. Black and white since that’s all they can see. There’s a bit of red in there too.” 

“Link--” Rhett could sense Link’s growing agitation at the prospect of the conversation long overdue.

“And we need bottles. The best ones. There are ones that could give the baby colic.”

“ _ Link _ .”

“Rhett, I know,” Link pleaded. “I know that we could never have a baby. I know that we could be selected and they could change their mind. I know all of these things. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have hope at the same time. That I believe in my heart that we’ll be the best parents. That there’s a baby out there that will get all of the love we’ve built and then some.”

Rhett stood, and walked to Link who was trying to keep the tears from falling. He placed his hands on Link’s shoulders and looked him in the eye.

“I know, Link. She’ll be here in two weeks.”


	2. Fuss

Link woke to a quiet house. 

Before, it was something to luxuriate in. But since bringing home Charlie from the hospital, Link had been on high alert to his daughter’s needs. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and went in search for Rhett and their daughter.

Charlotte McLaughlin--Charlie, for short--carried both of her fathers’ names and Link could have sworn that she was always going to be theirs. She had the beautiful sandy blonde hair of Rhett and Link’s blue eyes; the appetite of a McLaughlin and the sleep habits of a Neal. The moment Link held her and gazed at Rhett gazing adoringly at Charlie, everything seemed to fall into place. The finalization of the adoption a few weeks later lifted a weight off of their shoulders and they felt they could breathe just a little easier.

Soon after the adoption was final and their mothers flew home to North Carolina after helping out for a few weeks, Charlie ended up getting fussy right before sleep. Like clockwork, she’d fight and fuss for about an hour before finally falling asleep, despite her best efforts to evacuate her fathers’ arms. Rhett and Link had figured out a fairly good system of getting her to settle quickly, but it still had its fits and starts. 

As Link crept down the hallway, he could hear Charlie fussing. He checked his watch--sure enough, it was naptime. Link stopped himself just outside the door and listened to Rhett’s quiet voice.

Link would be the first to admit he would win the helicopter parent of the year award. He’d react the minute she cried and took it upon himself to jump in and take charge on nearly everything related to Charlie. But he knew that he needed to let Rhett have those special moments and share the responsibility of raising their daughter, poopy diapers and all, as well.

He peeked in and saw Rhett holding Charlie. Her fussing meant lots of movement, but Rhett had her firmly in his arms, bouncing back and forth. Quietly, Rhett began to sing, his smooth baritone voice filling the room. 

The corner of Link’s mouth lifted as he watched Charlie look up at her daddy, immediately quieting. For all the bluster Rhett had about being a parent which covered the anxieties he had about it, he handled Charlie with such immense love and care, it made Link’s heart burst even more for the man. 

Link stared in awe as Rhett deftly took care of Charlie as if he’d been doing it for years rather than a few months. Rhett had shifted Charlie to rest her head on his shoulder flawlessly as he continued softly bouncing. In turn, Charlie’s eyes slowly blinked closed and within minutes, she was sleeping. 

“You’re a natural,” Link whispered after Rhett had placed their daughter in her crib. Rhett gasped at the noise and turned to the door. He smiled softly and embraced Link as gently as he had Charlie. 

“I learned from the best,” Rhett said as they left the room, so as not to disturb Charlie.

“Yeah, your mom’s got some skills,” Link said. “But you’re also a natural.”

“I wasn’t talking about her,” Rhett smiled as he leant to kiss Link.


End file.
